Charging-machine.



PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

A.L.QJ.QUENEAU. CHARGING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

-Zhziiwf PATENTED FEB. 20, 1906.

A. L. J. QUENEAU. CHARGING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15, 1965.

Wzificesd as:-

- UNITED srarns PATEN orrron.

CHARGING-MACHINE.

Specification'of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1906.

Application filed January 16, 1905. Serial No. 241,276.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AUGUSTIN L. J. QUE- NEAU, a citizen ofthe Republicof France, residing at South Bethlehem, county of Northampton, State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inharging-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers'skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in chargin-machines, which improvements are especia ly applicable to themetallurgy of'spelter, but which have'also a more general application inthe arts-as, for instance, for charging retorts or muflles used forother purposes than the metallurgy of spelter, to the firing of boilersby means of coal-dust, and to thein'jection of pulverized fuel intorotary cement-furnacesand the like.

The fundamental principle of construction involved in my inventionconsists in providing means for impelling a practically solid andhomogeneous stream of the material to be charged through theoutlet-spout of the charging-machine into the retort, mufl'le, furnace,or the like to be supplied therewith. In practice, I realize thispurpose in the referred form of my invention, by feeding t e mate rialfrom a supply-hopper and by means of a feed-screw into a casing withinwhich revolves a disk having a series of blades, which bladesimmediately impart to the material admitted animpaot-blow sufficient togive it. a very considerable momentum and force'it through a directingoutlet-spout in a substantially cylindrical stream, which re' tains itsshape and form without material deviation for a distance varying fromthree to ten feet and more, according to the velocity of movement of theim act-blades. I am thus enabled to direct t is practically solid andhomogeneous stream with great accuracy into retorts, muflles, and thelike of small cross-sectionalarea or into chargingopenings of suchrelatively small area as to ordinarily req uire'the service ofhighly-skilled operators to properly supply them with the material.

In the accompanying drawings, Figs. 1, 2, and 3' represent,respectively',-a top plan view. side elevation. and rearelevation, of acharging-machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 4 represents a frontelevation, partly in section;

Referring to the drawings, it'will be noted that, as shown, the casingof the machine is made up of a base-castingA and a'top casting B, saidcastingsbeing provided with pro- 'ecting flanges for bolting themtogether.

etween the two castings is journaled the shaft 0, adapted to be revolvedby the drivepulley D and provided with suitable brasses and lubricatingdevices. 'Upon the shaft C is keyed the impellerdisk, consisting,preferably, of a single casting having a hub portion a with end flangesb, a flat main body portion constituting a circular plate of a diametercorresponding to the internal diameter of thecasing, and a series ofblades 0 of a curvature indicated in Fig. 2. At their outer ends theseblades '0 are of a width corresponding to the width of the casing andthen continue of this width to a radial distance corresponding to thelower portion of the feed-inlet E, from which point they decrease inwidthuntil they merge into the surface of the disk. It will be apparent,there-. fore, that any material forced into the casing through theinlet-opening E will receive the full impact-blow of the extreme outerportion of the blade approaching at that particular instant, anddropping in front of the widest and outermost portion of the blade andat right angles thereto will have imparted to it a momentum equivalentto that due to a sharp blow in consequence whereof thematerial receivingsuch impact-blow will be driven out tangentially through theupwardly-inclined outlet-spout F and itsauxiliary pipesection F.

In practice .the material supplied to the charging-machine'will be fedfrom a suitable hopper into the inlet-opening E by means of a feed-screwG delivering into-a pipe E, bolted to the inlet-pip E,- so that thechargingmachine will be hus supplied with 'a forced feed which may be soregulated as to correspond exactly to the conditions of use, andparticularly to the s eed of revolution desired.

When thematerial admitted is a mixture of zinciferous materialpreviously mixed with the quantity of pulverized coalnecessary for itsreduction in the spelter-muffles, the apparatus not only fully performsits chargingfun tion but also serves to e fect a more thorough mixing ofthe charge during its. travel through the machine, the more friable coalbeing further broken up and the coal particles being brought into moreintimate association with the particles of the zinciferous material,thereby coating them quite thoroughly. I regard this function of theapparatus as of particular importance in the metallurgy of spelter andin the metallurgy of similar retort charges for the reason that theusual hand-mixing need not be conducted with as much thoroughness as hasheretofore been deemed necessary, and because the mixture, due to theaction of the machine, is much more intimate and uniform than can beusually expected from hand opmaterial corresponding to the particularrequirements of use..

In practice I have been enabled to produce a stream of material which,shot through the outlet, travels in a straightpath without any materialspreading for a distance varying from three to ten feet and more, thischarge moving in a practievitably cally solid homogeneous column ofgenerally cylindrical form, so that it .can be directed into aretort ormuffle opening of a correspondin 1y small diameter. 3

o far as I am aware it is broadly new to' feed retorts, muffles, and thelike with a solid stream of the charging material thus continuously. andhomogeneously projected from a constant source of supply by an impellin-disk or its equivalent, and I desire, there ore, that my broad claimsshall have a correspondin ly generic interpretation. A device ofthis caracter has'the reat advantage of operating with exact uni ormity at alltimes of the dag and night and at all seasons of the year, w ereas it isfound in practice. that the care and attention which the skilledoperator ives to hand'char'ging almost ina s toward the end of theshift, and especial y in the late hours of the night, and that hiscapacity for maintaining his efliciency varies greatly with the seasonsand with particular atmospheric conditions. It results frequently thatin the ordinary hand-charging procedure numbers of the retorts show thattheir charges have been fully worked out several hours before their.proper time, while others indicate Various approximations towardcomplete exhaustion of their charges. This uneven work, which in themetallurgy of spelter is due to the ver trying conditions under whichthe hen charging is practiced and the consequent yarying eneragy of suchhand-charging, results in a'serious iminution in the out ut of afurterial nace having a given number 0 retorts or mufiies and a crresponding loss to the operators of the .plant.

and varvin is absoluteI uniform and unvarying under all conditions ofuse.

The function of the pipe-section F (see Fig. 2) is to-give form anddirection to the issuing stream of charging material, and in this regardthe pipe-section F acts in a measure like the barrel of a gun to insureagainst scattering of the projected particles. In some instances I may,if desired, substitute for the single pipe-section F a forkedpipesection, so as to simultaneously charge two or more vessels at oneand the same time. I It will also be understood thatthe'mechanism foroperating the screw conveyer may be automatically'regulated, so as tobring the conveyer to rest at predetermined intervals, corresponding tothe chalgfge required for any particular retort or mu c.

It will be noted that the feed-screw G (see Fig. 4) terminates, asindicated in dotted lines in said figure, well in advance ofthe'discharge-mouth of the inlet into the casing,

tion without spreading on its way into thev retorts. I am thus enabledto project into the retorts a continuous an dhomogeneous stream of thechargin material of almost the cross-sectional area 0 the retortsthemselves, and therefore to pack the retorts full from their extremeinner ends to their outer mouths. If any substantial body of air werepresent in the pro'ected stream, such air would tend to expanimmediately upon leaving the discharge-spout and would correspondinglyscatter the material on the way to the retorts, and, furthermore, theeffort of a stream containing any substantial bod of air'to enter aretort of diameter but little larger than the stream would be opposed bythe air already in the retort to sue 'a degree as to prevent successfulcharging where the material is in a comminuted condition. Where, as mmmachme, the stream of maro ecte into the retort 1s substan-' tially erived of air b reason of the sealin of the in ct, the air wit in theretort is foun to oppose no substantial resistance to the enandcompleteness.

- Substantial y as described.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to-secureby Letters Patent, is j v 1. A charging-machine, comprising. aninclosing casing, a rotary shaft, a series of im pact-blades, an inletfor feeding the material to be charged into the path of movement of theouter ends of the blades, feeding mechanism arran ed in the inletandterminating in advanced its dischar emouth, thereby SGIV'? ing as aseal against the admission of air with the chargin material, and atangential outlet '2. A charging-machine, comprising an inclosingcasing, a rotary shaft, a series of impact-blades,.a tangential outlet,and an inlet adjacent to the outer ends of the blades, said inletentering the side of the casing transversely; to the plane of revolutionof the blades and immediately in advanceof the outlet; substantially asdescribed.

' tion formin I mouth of the-in 5. Acharging-machjne, closing casing,- arotary 3. A charging-machine, comprising, an in closing casing, a rotaryshaft, a series of impact-b ades, an inlet entering the side of thecasing transversely to the path of movement of the blades, and atangential outlet, saidtangential outlet having a tubular continuaa-directing-spout; substantially as describe a y 4. A charging-machine,comprising. an inclosing casin a rotary shaft, an impellerdisk rovidedon its face with a series of impactlades, an inletentering the side ofthe casing transversely to the path of movement of the blades, and atangential outlet; substantially as described.

comprising an inshaft,'a series of impact-b ades, an inlet for feedingthe material to be charged-into the path of movement of the outer endsof the blades, a tangential outlet, and a forced feed for the inlet,said forced feed terminatin in advance of the dischargeet, therebyleaving an intervenm portionwhich serves as a seal against the a,mission of air with the charging 'material; substantially as described.

charging-machine, comprising an indisk provided on its curved blades of.substantially the Width of closing casing, a rotary shaft, a series ofimmaterial to be charged into the path of movement of said outer ends,and a tangential outlet; substantially as described. I 7. Acharging-machine, comprising aniii closing casing, a rotar ace with aseries of the casing at their outer ends'and decreasing in widthinwardly, an inlet adjacent to the outer ends of the blades, and atangential outlet; substantially as described.

8. A charging-machine, comprising an inclosing' casin ,a'rota shaft, animpellerdisk provide on its face with a series of curved blades ofsubstantially the Widthof the casing at, their outer endsand decreasingin Width inwardly, an inlet adjacent to the outer ends of the blades, aforced feed for said inlet, anda tangential outlet; substantially asdescribed. 3

9. A charging-machine, comprising an inclosing casin a rotar shaft, animpellerdisk provide on its" rice with a series of curved blades thecasing at their outer ends and decreasing in width inwardl outer ends ofthe fades, a force feed for said inlet,"and a tangential outlet, saidtangential outlet having a continuation forming a direction-spoutsubstantially as described.

10. A charging-machine, comprising an inshaft, an impeller ofsubstantially the Width ofan inlet ad'acent to the closin casing, arotary shaft, aseries of impact; ades, an inlet for feeding the materialthrough the side of the casing into the path of movement of the outerends of the blades, and a feed conveyer se charge-mouth of them at by anintervening sealing-space substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

AUGUSTIN L. QUENEAU. Witnesses:

Fnnnnaro E. PIERCE. a S. P. WETHEBILL, Jr.

arated from the dis-

